Fruit-picker&#39;s bag



April 8, 1 930. H. HAMMOCK ET AL 1,754,100

FRUIT PICKERS BAG Filed Jan. 12, 1928 II. Hammad? 6. flitlalla PatentedApr. 8, 1930 warren STATES.

HENRY HAMMOCK AND GRANT RIDDLE, F BQISE, IDAHO FRUIT-PICKERS BAGApplication filed January 12, 1928.

This invention relates to bags for use by fruit pickers, and one of theobjects of the invention is to provide a bag which is so constructedthat bruising or damage to the fruit is reduced to a minimum.

A further object is to provide very simple means whereby the bottom ofthe bag may be held in a folded back condition and whereby the folded orreturned portion of the bag may be lowered from time to time as thepicking progresses, thus acting to further reduce any chance of thefruits being bruised.

()ther objects will appear in the course of the following description.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure1 is a perspective view of a fruit picking bag constructed in accordancewith our invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the bag with the bottom of thebag extended;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary transverse section through the top of the bag;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the bag frame;

Referring to this drawing, designates a bag, which may be made ofcanvas, duck or any other suitable material, the mouth of the bag beingsupported by a frame 11, this frame extending across one side of the bagand across the ends thereof and then inward toward the middle of thebag. This frame is enclosed within a hem 12 and the material of the bagis stitched up along the front of the bag, as at 13.

It is to be noted that this frame does not extend entirely across therear wall of the bag and thus the rear wall is flexible and will conform to the contour of the wearer to some extent, thus rendering the bagmuch more comfortable than if a rigid frame extended across the rearwall which, under the weight of the fruit, would be pressed toward thewearer.

hliveted to the front of the bag and to the turned-in ends of the frame11 are the straps or shoulder bands 1a which are made of severalthicknesses of canvas and which are provided with snap hooks 15 at theirextremities. These hooks are adapted to engage with rings 16 which areattached by leather Serial No. 246,224.

tabs to the frame, these tabs being riveted to the frame by rivets 17.There are three of these rings 16. The bag is open at the bottom butstitched into a fold of the bag at opposite sides thereof are the ropes18. These ropes are provided with knots 19 at spaced points along theirlength, and coacting with these knots are the hooks 20 which are rivetedor otherwise attached to the ends of the bag as, for instance, by thesame rivets that hold the leather tabs in place for the hooks 15.

Disposed within the bag is a canvas baffie 21. The two end edges of thepiece of canvas constituting this baflie are so stitchedto the sides ofthe bag that each end edge at its middle is higher than at its ends.Thus the middle of this baflie is higher than the ends of the bafie.Thus the fruit dropped upon the baffle will be directed sometimes to oneside of the bag and sometimes to the other side of the bag, thuspreventing all of the fruit from being discharged into, say, the middleof the bag and piling up at the middle of the bag intsead of being moreor less distributed evenly. These ends extend into sufficiently closeproximity to the end walls of the bag as to impede the passage of fruitof ordinary size. 7

The fruit dropping into the bag in this manner is extremely likely to bebruised and this bruising, of course, will materially reduce the valueof the fruit on the market, as not only does this bruising render thefruit unattractive, but decay is very liable to start at any bruisedpoint, by checking the passage of the fruit into the bag the impetus ofthe fruit is reduced. The fruit cannot drop directly into the bag and onthe fruit already therein, but drops onto the battle 21 which checks thespeed of the fruit and the fruit then drops merely the distance betweenthe battle and the top of the fruit already in the bag. This baflieissewed into the mouth of the bag about six inches from the top and whenthe picker drops the fruit from above it comes in contact with thisbaffle, which retards the movement of the fruit enough to prevent damageor bruising, as the fruit cannot fall directly downward against the bottom of the bag but is retarded. This will tend to prevent the fruit frombecoming being provided with snap hooks for engagebruised or damaged,and this damage is fur ment in the rings.

ther prevented by the adjustability of the bottom of the bag, asheretofore stated. Thus when the the picker is starting his pick, heraises the cords or ropes 18 and thus folds the bag so that it isrelatively shallow, and engages thelowermost knot 19 with the hook 20.As the bag fills, he disengages the lowermost knots and lowers the bagand engages the next knots with the hook, andso on until the bag iscompletely filled. 7 When the bag is to be emptied, the ropes areentirely disengaged from the hooks and the fruit can then be emptiedinto receptacles without removing the'bag from the shoulders of thepicker.

'It will be seen thatthis construction is a verysimple one and that ithas been found in practice to be particularly effective in preventingthe bruising or injuring of fruit. "Vhile'th'e ropes 19 for supportingthe folded bag bottom are also effective in reducing blemish'ing of thefruit, yet they provide a very simple way in which the bag may be heldfolded or'the bag readily released for the discharge of the contentsthereof.

We claim v I. A fruit picking bag having a bafile of textile fabricsecured in the mouth of 'the bag below the toptliereof, the bafileinclining do'wnv'vard fromits'middle toward its ends and sai'dends beingspaced from the body of thebag'to permit thepa's'sage of fruit over theends of the bafile.

'2. A fruit picking bag 'hav-ing'a baflie of textile fabric secured inthe mouth of the :bag below the top thereof,the ba'flle incliningdownward from its middle toward its ends and said ends being spaced fromthe body secured tothe frame, a baflle of textilefabric disposedbelowthe frame and attached to the sides of the bag but terminatingshort ofthe'endsof the bag, said baflie being formed to provide two laterallyand downwardly extending channels, hooks projecting from c In testimonsignatures.

the ends of the frame, and flexible members i attached to the bottom ofthe bag and formed at intervals to engage with'saidhooks wherebythebot'tom of the bag may be gradually lowered as the bag becomesfilled.

4. A fruit picking bag having a'rectangular mouth frame extending acrossthe front and the ends of the bag and inward across the rear of the bagadjacent the ends thereof, rings operatively secured to the frame at thesides of the bag and shoulder straps each attached to the're'ar face ofthe'bag, the straps bein adapted to extend diagonally-across eachotherand. the extremities of thest'raps y whereof we hereunto afiix our

